Meta key for 'emacs -nw'

[Bob Bernstein]

Emacs, unless specifically told not to do it -- with the 
'-nw' option, will ordinarily launch here (in an xterm) in X 
window fashion, and the Meta key is then 'Alt'.

Launched in the same xterm, with '-nw,' emacs uses Esc for 
its Meta key, which I find um disenchanting, for lack of a 
better term.

Do I need to place some information in my .emacs, perhaps 
related to the minibuffer, instructing emacs to stay with Alt 
for its Meta key? 

Or is this a matter of setting my xterm correctly?

(A thousand pardons if this is a  F A Q.)


-- 
Bob Bernstein